India import of Russian crude in December lowest since February 2025

NEW DELHI: India imported crude worthy $2.7 cardinal from Russia successful Dec 2025, the lowest monthly import from the state since Feb past year, reflecting the interaction of the US imposing sanctions connected Russian lipid majors Rosneft and Lukoil — 2 large contributors to lipid exports to India.The US had announced sanctions connected the 2 companies connected Oct 22 and acceptable Nov 21 arsenic the deadline for each dealings with them to beryllium coiled down.As per information shared by the ministry of commerce and industry, Dec supplies of Russian lipid were astir 27% little compared with imports worthy $3.7 cardinal a period earlier successful Nov 2025, and implicit 15% little than the $3.2 cardinal imported during the corresponding period successful 2024.

Emails sent to lipid selling companies — Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Reliance Industries — seeking details of their purchases from Russia did not elicit a response.Russia, however, remained the biggest supplier of crude to India successful 2025-26, contributing 24% of the $11.4 cardinal worthy of lipid imported successful Dec. Other apical suppliers included Iraq ($2.4 billion), Saudi Arabia ($1.8 billion), the UAE ($1.7 billion) and the US ($0.6 billion).In the 3 quarters (April to Dec) of FY2026, India imported crude worthy $105.1 cardinal from 34 antithetic geographies, with Russia emerging arsenic the biggest supplier astatine $33.1 billion, accounting for 31.5% of the total.

During the corresponding play successful FY2025, India imported $109.3 cardinal worthy of oil, with Russia’s stock astatine $39.9 billion, oregon 36.5%.The stock of the US accrued some successful Dec and during the 3 quarters of FY26 compared with the corresponding play successful the erstwhile fiscal. The US supplied $0.6 cardinal worthy of crude to India successful Dec 2025, up from $0.4 cardinal a twelvemonth earlier, taking full exports to India to $8.2 cardinal betwixt April and Dec 2025 — an summation of 7.8% from $5 cardinal successful the erstwhile fiscal.Announcing a commercialized woody with India past week, US President Donald Trump said New Delhi had agreed to trim imports of Russian lipid to zero. The Narendra Modi govt did not respond to the assertion specifically, but maintained that ensuring the vigor information of 1.4 cardinal Indians was paramount.